Bengaluru, Enforcement Directorate on Friday detained former minister B Nagendra, as part of a money laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, official sources said.
The Congress MLA was brought to the ED office here from his residence for questioning, sources said.
Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Nagendra, who was the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister, tendered his resignation on June 6.
"They are bringing me from my house... I don't know anything," Nagendra told reporters as he was taken to the emergency room.
The ED has carried out searches over the last two days at several places, including the premises of former Karnataka minister Nagendra and ruling Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, who is Corporation president.
The agency covered around 20 locations in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra as part of a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sources said.
The issue of illegal money transfers, involving the Corporation, came to the fore after its superintendent of accounts, Chandrasekharan P., committed suicide on May 26.
He left a note claiming unauthorized transfer of Rs 187 million belonging to the Corporation from his bank account; Thereafter, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally transferred to various accounts purportedly belonging to "known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank, among others.
Chandrasekharan named the Corporation's now suspended managing director J. G. Padmanabh, accounts officer Parashuram G. Durugannavar and Union Bank of India chief manager Suchismita Rawal in the note, while stating that the "Minister" had issued oral orders to transfer the funds.
The state government has constituted an SIT headed by Manish Kharbikar, Additional Director General of Police, Economic Crimes, in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to carry out the investigation.
The SIT questioned Nagendra and Daddal on Tuesday in connection with the case.
Mumbai-based Union Bank of India also filed a complaint with the CBI in connection with misappropriation of money belonging to the corporation in connection with its MG Road branch, following which the premier investigating agency launched a probe.
The Congress MLA was brought to the ED office here from his residence for questioning, sources said.
Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Nagendra, who was the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister, tendered his resignation on June 6.
"They are bringing me from my house... I don't know anything," Nagendra told reporters as he was taken to the emergency room.
The ED has carried out searches over the last two days at several places, including the premises of former Karnataka minister Nagendra and ruling Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal, who is Corporation president.
The agency covered around 20 locations in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra as part of a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sources said.
The issue of illegal money transfers, involving the Corporation, came to the fore after its superintendent of accounts, Chandrasekharan P., committed suicide on May 26.
He left a note claiming unauthorized transfer of Rs 187 million belonging to the Corporation from his bank account; Thereafter, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally transferred to various accounts purportedly belonging to "known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank, among others.
Chandrasekharan named the Corporation's now suspended managing director J. G. Padmanabh, accounts officer Parashuram G. Durugannavar and Union Bank of India chief manager Suchismita Rawal in the note, while stating that the "Minister" had issued oral orders to transfer the funds.
The state government has constituted an SIT headed by Manish Kharbikar, Additional Director General of Police, Economic Crimes, in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to carry out the investigation.
The SIT questioned Nagendra and Daddal on Tuesday in connection with the case.
Mumbai-based Union Bank of India also filed a complaint with the CBI in connection with misappropriation of money belonging to the corporation in connection with its MG Road branch, following which the premier investigating agency launched a probe.
